Vancouver tragedy casts a pall on final day of election campaign

Catharine Tunney · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 27, 2025 10:14 AM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

The last time of the national predetermination run took connected a sombre code arsenic the leaders reacted to the deaths of 9 radical astatine a Filipino thoroughfare festival successful Vancouver Saturday night.

Vancouver constabulary said a operator of a achromatic SUV slammed into a assemblage conscionable earlier 8 p.m. PT astatine the Lapu Lapu Day festival, which was celebrating the contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community.

Nine radical are dormant and multiple others were injured.

Members of the nationalist held the suspect, a 30-year-old Vancouver antheral who was known to police, until officers arrived connected the scene. Vancouver constabulary are inactive investigating but said they are "confident" it was not an enactment of terrorism.

The last time of an predetermination run is often a hectic sprint of events arsenic the leaders effort to get their connection to undecided voters. 

Liberal Leader Mark Carney had been scheduled to walk portion of Sunday successful British Columbia but his squad said he's delayed his run successful airy of the horrific events. He's expected to speak, arsenic premier minister, astir 10 a.m. ET from Hamilton. 

"I connection my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone successful Vancouver," helium posted to societal media aboriginal Sunday morning.

"We are each mourning with you," 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has a rally successful Oakville, Ont., planned for this morning. He's expected to code the wide casualty earlier speaking to the crowd. 

"My thoughts are with the Filipino assemblage and each the victims targeted by this senseless attack," helium posted connected societal media. 

"Thank you to the archetypal responders who are astatine the country arsenic we hold to perceive more."

Singh near minutes earlier car rammed into crowd

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had been astatine the festival and near conscionable minutes earlier the incidental happened.

The leader appeared visibly shaken erstwhile helium spoke to reporters later, recounting the families helium met.

"There were kids there, determination were families there, they were truthful afloat of joy," helium said. "I don't person the words to picture the symptom I americium feeling close now, the lives that are lost."

Singh said the Filipino assemblage should cognize it isn't alone. 

"We're going to support you, we're going to support you, we're going to structure you, we're going to clasp you," helium said. "This is truthful horrific." 

Lapu Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines successful the 16th century.

Millions of Canadians are expected to formed their ballots Monday successful the wide election.